New Efficiency Standards Mean Big Energy Savings for Consumers

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What does this mean for me?

By 2030, energy efficiency standards passed since 2009 will save nearly $350 billion total for consumers.

Energy efficiency standards for residential clothes washers and dishwashers alone will save consumers approximately $20 billion in energy and water costs through 2030.

As part of the Obama Administration’s energy strategy, Energy Department officials have been hard at work helping American families save money by saving energy. Since 2009, we’ve issued nearly 40 common-sense energy efficiency standards for appliances -- which will save consumers nearly $350 billion on their energy bills through 2030, and give them more efficient machine choices. This breaks down to significant energy savings annually for households over the next two decades.

As part of this effort, today the Department announced new energy efficiency standardsfor residential clothes washers and dishwashers that will save consumers approximately $20 billion in energy and water costs through 2030. The clothes washer standard alone will save households approximately 25 percent on their machine’s operational costs -- the equivalent of approximately $350 in savings over the lifetime of the washer.

While the new energy efficiency standards clearly impact families and individual consumers in a big way, the U.S. as a whole has a lot to gain, as well. These utility savings per family adds up to approximately $600 million in energy and water savings per year for the next 10 years nationally.

Energy efficiency standards for everyday appliances like these have already saved American families hundreds of billions of dollars. These standards have laid the groundwork for additional improvements for appliances -- ensuring consumers have more efficient, less costly appliances without sacrificing performance.

The new standards for clothes washers and dishwashers were developed in partnership with industry experts and national environmental organizations, and will go into effect over the next few years.

Today, clothes washers and dishwashers account for approximately 3 percent of residential energy use and more than 20 percent of indoor water use in homes across the country. These new standards willreduce the energy consumption of front-loading clothes washers by 15 percent and reduce water consumption by 35 percent, while top-loading washers will save 33 percent on energy and 19 percent on water consumption. New standards for home dishwashers will use approximately 15 percent less energy and more than 20 percent less water.

Visit the Department’s Building Technologies Program to find out more about the minimum efficiency standards for residential appliances and commercial equipment.